However, the three-star tight end from Powder Springs (Hillgrove), Ga., didn't want to make a commitment that left any room for doubt. His parents felt the same way.

After numerous discussions with his parents, Engram informed them his mind was made up. They called their son Thursday morning in Destin, Fla., to give them their blessing. Engram, in Destin with his girlfriend and her family, immediately called Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze to commit.

"All along, I wanted to be a Rebel," Engram said. "I had to make sure and my parents had to make sure it was the right decision for me. Just to know I'm committed to the place I wanted to be, that takes pressure off me. Now I can focus on my team and winning games.

"(Ole Miss coaches) said I can be a hybrid tight end for them. They said I can use my speed to get past defenders and catch balls. They said my type of play is perfect for his offense."

Engram, who chose Ole Miss over Air Force, Furman, Georgia State, Marshall, Navy, Ohio, South Alabama, Toledo, Wake Forest, Youngstown State and others, appears to be on the verge of an offer from UCLA. Others likely will follow suit, but Engram said it won't matter.

"The reason the process took so long is I'm not going to de-commit," Engram said. "I'm committed to the Rebels. I wouldn't want them to back out on me, and I'm not going to back out of them. A commitment means a commitment."

Instead, Engram plans to work on other Ole Miss targets, hoping to help the Rebels land a recruiting class Freeze can utilize to rebuild the struggling program he inherited.

"I'm going to tell guys how great a place Ole Miss is," Engram said. "I've yet to find something wrong with the direction they're going. Coach Freeze is a perfect fit for what they're trying to do. The future is bright. I want to be a part of what they're doing in Oxford."

Engram said he'll make a return trip to Oxford sometime next month "to get my dad down there so he can get a feel for the place, too. My mom has been down there two times."